Sunday March 27, 2016

If the question is “Have you ever seen [INSERT TOURIST ATTRACTION] in Nanjing?”, our answer is a resounding “Yes.”

Today was another day seeing the sights in Nanjing with our friends here, in between episodes of extreme gluttony. I’m struggling to recall a time where I’ve eaten more food in a more condensed period. It’s been a culinary endurance event with the variety, complexity, and deliciousness of the fare redeeming any short term physically debilitating side effects of a 50 thousand calorie a day diet. After all, you only live once, even if that life is being cut drastically short through overeating.

We started our day by meeting our friends here for a visit to the Nanjing Museum. The trip began with a potentially disastrous episode where our passports — which remained back in the hotel safe — were requested before we were going to be allowed access to the museum for some god unknown reason. Fortunately our hosts engaged in some diplomatic negotiation which seemed to at least partially work as were allowed into one wing of the museum while the rest remained off limits to this family of unpapered Americans. I did’t even bother to ask for clarification, after all: China.

The museum itself was amazing. The rich, multi-millennia long historical record of the Chinese culture is somewhat hard to wrap your head around until you see it laid out before you in its stark scale and unquestionable beauty. The pottery, sculpture, artwork, furniture, clothing, and sundry other artifacts ware stunning to see all in one place at one time. The Chinese aesthetic is finely balanced between the projection of mystical power and elegant delicacy. All of the kids were totally enthralled. It was important for them to see the scope of their culture laid before them. I was impressed, but I am genuinely hopeful all three of them left there feeling great pride for the country of their birth and their rich, timeless heritage.

After the museum we went to lunch for some reason. I myself was still digesting the 15 pounds of food I ate the day before, but in the interest of not insulting our very generous hosts, I vowed to eat whatever was put before me. This is the price one pays for obeying etiquette. The restaurant was a traditional Chinese hot pot house where we were treated like royalty. Hot pot is comparable to western fondue for the uninitiated. Communal eating where everyone is simultaneously cooking their own food alongside each other is great fun. In addition to the familiar beef, lamb, shrimp, and assorted vegetables, we were also treated to pig stomach, sea grass, cow intestines, assorted tofu, and, the surprisingly tasty, pig throat. Matthew and Olivia were absolute troopers, trying a little of everything, even if a fair bit of it fell on deaf taste buds. Aelex, the pickiest of all our eaters, stuck with her staples: noodles, fruits, vegetables, and the odd piece of meat. I myself am a big fan of hot pot and found this particular restaurant to be an especially good one. Even the pig throat was dandy.

After lunch, we went to another Buddhist temple not far from our friend’s home. As the day was simply gorgeous — sunny and warm — approximately half the population of all of China also made the decision to join us on our visit. The crowds were thick but not nearly as ornery as the ones we encountered at the Forbidden City so it was a pleasant, if not slow, walk through the temple.

After the temple we went to Xuanwu Lake yet again, for some quality time and so the kids could run around a bit and work off their cow’s intestine lunch. As I’ve said, it was a fine day so the walk did us all good.

Then, believe it or not (and I say that, because Dorothy and I certainly couldn’t) it was time for dinner. Now let me state for the record, based on my very unscientific polling, that I would estimate the Chinese obesity rate at approximately 0.0001%. I am unable to reconcile this fact with what we have been forced to eat over the past few days. Even our hosts, the picture of health all of them, must engage in some after-hours liposuction in order to avoid weighing 800 pounds if this is how they eat each day.

Dinner was in another amazing restaurant. Beautifully appointed, impeccably staffed, with tragically (for us) appetizing food. We all ate all we could manage, in spite of ourselves and against our better judgement. Our friends have been beyond generous, obliterating what would pass for hospitality in any other country we have travelled to. While I have been having some fun with the unprecedented amount of food we have been eating, it comes from the wonderfully warm place of wanting to ensure your guests’ comfort and satisfaction at all costs. We have had the best time here in Nanjing the past two days. The kindness has been overwhelming and while the occasional language barrier does exist, it does not interfere with our interactions in any way, as the intent and meaning of all sentiment comes across loud and clear, even when words fail.

After our meal, we were taken back to our hotel by our friends to say goodbye and to thank them for everything they had done for us. Aelex and her friend May had returned their relationship to the level of affection they had when they were both going to school together several years ago. For that fact alone, this whole trip was was worthwhile.

Tomorrow we make our pilgrimage to Aelex’s orphanage, and with a little luck it will be as meaningful as our other two visits earlier in the trip. Aelex seems a little nonplussed by the prospect of returning to her former home but she plays it close to the vest on those occasions when she’s not wearing her emotions right on her sleeve. But she can be a brave and resilient kid when the chips are down and I have every confidence that she’ll pull it off with flying colors. As for her mother and I? Well, I’m sure we’ll be blubbering basket cases, but that’s our job, and based on our track record at Matthew and Olivia’s orphanages, we seem to be pretty good at that job. Until tomorrow vicarious travelers.

Painting the town red. Painting the Easter eggs not at all…